Building European Environmental and Maritime Skills

About BEEMS

The UK’s marine renewable energy sector is rapidly expanding with a potential to bring a large number of new job vacancies to the region. Recognising this, Warsash Maritime Academy is continuing its support to the offshore renewable energy industry and is involved in an EU funded project known as Building European Environmental and Maritime Skills (BEEMS). The project was selected under the European cross-border co-operation programme INTERREG IV A France (Channel) – England, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (EDRF).

In the context of the UK and French Governments’ commitment to meet their respective low carbon emission targets by 2020, the aim of BEEMS is to stimulate the development and sustained growth of environmental and maritime skills within the marine renewable energy industry (offshore wind, wave and tidal flow), and to increase the sector’s economic viability through enhanced cross-border co-operation and joint working.

This will be achieved by means of the following strategic objectives:

Secure a joint understanding of the commercial commonalities and differences of the cross-border marine renewable energy sector and its specific requirements for developing and retaining a skilled and ready-for-market workforce that meets short, medium and long term growth in the offshore wind energy industry.

Develop a cross-border offshore wind energy industry skills training and apprenticeship programme that will meet the educational, social and economic needs of unemployed people or those with low level skills.

Develop and evaluate cross-border practical approaches and techniques that improve performance and long term employability, including a skills escalator, study trips and exchanges.

Enhance opportunities for SMEs in the partnership territories to benefit from the development of the marine renewable energy sector supply chain.

Warsash Maritime Academy and BEEMS

As a leading south-coast provider of maritime and offshore training courses, Warsash Maritime Academy has a wealth of experience relating to both industry research and practical design and implementation of numerous accredited training standards. From a BEEMS project perspective, it is intended that our involvement will enable identification of appropriate skill requirements as applicable to offshore wind farm personnel transfers. It is then hoped that such skill identification will progress to the development of occupational maritime training standards that are implementable across the renewable sector.

Warsash Maritime Academy is joined by nine other partners for the project.

More information

For more information about the BEEMS project and Warsash Maritime Academy’s involvement please contact:

BEEMS Partners

The vision of BEEMS is the adoption of a common standard for developing, realising and maintaining workforce employment opportunities and practices in the marine renewable energy sector, including offshore wind, wave and tidal flow, throughout the cross-border region. To help realise this vision, BEEMS has brought together 10 partners and two participating organisations: East of England Energy Group and Energies Haute-Normandie, who represent local and regional authorities, industry sector businesses and associations, educational institutions, and training providers.

United Kingdom Partners

Isle of Wight Council (area: Hampshire and Isle of Wight)

Lowestoft College (area: East Anglia)

Marine East Ltd (area: East Anglia)

Portsmouth City Council (area: Hampshire and Isle of Wight)

Southampton City Council (Lead Partner) (area: Hampshire and Isle of Wight)

Questionnaire

All BEEMS project partners are undertaking a study to establish the skill requirements to employ local businesses and industries. The objective is to provide support to local businesses so that they can prepare themselves for any future developments relevant to the renewable industry.

If you wish to contribute to the study please download and complete the questionnaire*; your input will be extremely valuable. The data collected during the survey will be extremely significant in shaping the local industry and preparing our own workforce for the local wind farm industry personnel.

* Please note, all information submitted will remain confidential, except for use in statistical analysis.

BEEMS Final Conference 14th May 2014 Building European Environmental Maritime Skills

This event will be of interest to any organisation working in the marine renewable energy sector interested in common cross border or global training standards and in the MRE supply chain. The conference will take place at Southampton Solent University Conference Centre, Southampton, on Wednesday 14 May 2014. There will be a formal registration process for all attendees. A programme for the event will be available shortly, as well as a link to the official registration process.

Please put the date in your diary and check the BEEMS website for further information about the event.

Warsash Maritime Academy is a partner in this project and we encourage you to attend.